The morning followed the same rhythm, but today, Aurex couldn't bring himself to look at his parents while eating. He stared down at his plate, wondering, Do I even like eggs and juice? Have I ever liked them?
As usual, he walked to school with his little brother. They parted ways with a smile and a "Goodbye," and Aurex slipped into another day of dull, repetitive lessons. The teachers, with cheerful faces, recited the Ten Rules again. Nothing ever changed.
But Aurex was growing restless.
Five days, he thought. Five days I've wanted to make a move. Every time, I freeze. He didn't even know what that first move should be. Where would he go? What was beyond the town? No one ever talked about the outside world. He didn't even know if there was one.
Still, he couldn't stay like this forever. He was starting to crack.
He thought of the boy in the cafeteria,the one with red eyes, the only one who seemed remotely different. Maybe the first step had to involve him. Maybe he could help. So, while eating alone during the break, Aurex decided to write a note and slip it to him, pretending to just be asking about his health.
But as soon as he pulled out a pen, something deep inside warned him: Don't.
His heart pounded. His palms were slick with sweat. He froze, stared at the note he never wrote, then slowly tucked the paper away.
He couldn't risk it. Not like that.
Then another idea came to him. The students always left the cafeteria in an organized, timed fashion. Maybe he could catch the boy during that moment,just for a second, when no one else was watching,and speak to him.
When the time came, Aurex almost backed out again. But then he saw the boy moving toward the exit, alone. Steeling himself, Aurex approached with a smile glued to his face.
"Eyes wide open,meet me after class." he whispered, the only words he could think to say. Then he turned and walked away before the boy could respond.
The rest of the school day dragged on. By the time the final bell rang, Aurex was waiting behind the corner near the school gates. He had started to lose hope,Maybe he told on me. Maybe I'll be erased,but then the boy appeared.
He didn't smile any wider, didn't look suspicious. Just walked up and said, "Sit down."
They sat together behind the corner wall.
"What do you want?" the boy asked calmly, still smiling.
Aurex didn't know how to begin. His mind scrambled for something small, something casual.
"What do you mean when you say 'keep your eyes open' all the time?"
The boy gave a short laugh. "It's just a thing I do."
Aurex frowned inwardly. Is he suspicious of me? Does he think I'm testing him?
He tried again, more cautiously.
"You know, in my house... we have a weird rule. We close all our doors at 6 p.m. No one leaves their room."
The boy's smile didn't change, but his eyes did. They widened slightly,too wide, too fast.
"I need to go," he said quickly, standing up.
"Wait," Aurex said, rising too. "What—"
The boy turned. "And remember my weird habit.and be really careful."
Then he walked away.
Aurex stood there, heart racing, trying to understand what had just happened. His mind ran in circles all the way home. His little brother walked beside him like nothing had happened, and their mother welcomed them inside like always. They ate. They smiled. They recited the Rules.
And at 6 p.m., Aurex returned to his room.But tonight, something felt different. He sat at his desk with his diary open, pen in hand, but couldn't write. His thoughts kept drifting. Not just to that boy's cryptic words, but to that sound. The faint footsteps from the night before.
He told himself to let it go. Just write. Just follow the routine.
But his hand wouldn't move.
After several minutes of stillness, Aurex stood. His feet were bare on the wooden floor. He moved slowly, carefully, so the boards wouldn't creak. He walked to the corner of the room where his bookshelf stood against the wall. Just beside it, hidden behind a curtain, was the small, shuttered window his parents had sealed years ago. He'd never touched it before.
Not once.
Heart pounding, he reached out and pressed his fingers against the frame. It didn't creak, not yet. He took his time, inching the shutter just enough to let in a sliver of light,a narrow crack no wider than his finger.
He knelt and pressed one eye to the gap.
At first, he saw nothing. Just the hallway outside his room. Dim light. Wooden floor. Shadows.
Then movement.
His mother passed by. smiling. Just walking, slow and blank-faced. Then his sister,carrying something in her hands. A cloth? No, it looked heavier. She moved down the hall and vanished into the kitchen.
Aurex held his breath.
Then his father appeared. He wasn't reading his paper. He was still smiling. He just stood there, staring at a wall, still as a statue. Then, without warning, he turned and walked back the way he came.
Aurex backed away from the hole, gently pressed the shutter closed, and returned to his desk. He sat there, frozen, the smile still plastered on his face, but something inside him cracked.
They weren't just like him.
They weren't just scared.
They were doing something.
He didn't know what scared him more,the thought that they were hiding something from him, or that they weren't hiding it at all. Maybe they thought he already knew. Maybe they thought he was just like them.
He picked up his pen.
His hand trembled.